YEAR OF JUBILEE - Peggy Trotter - One Free book

Dear Readers, it’s always a thrill to present a debut novelist to you.

Bio: Peggy Trotter is a small town Hoosier native who teaches 1st and 2nd grade at a small Christian School and writes Christian Romance in her spare time. God blessed her with a wonderful husband who cooks and helps clean while supporting her crazy dreams. She has two incredible grown kids, one fabulous son-in-law, and two rays of sunshine, commonly called grandchildren.

Welcome, Peggy. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

A lot! Sometimes I cry, if the scene gets really emotional. I’m such a hodgepodge of personalities, LOL, that I can write from several different angles. So, I’d say every one of my characters has more than a sliver of me.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I decided I wanted a deck built between my house and garage. So, I researched it, planned it, and built it myself. I’m pretty good with power tools. After that I’d say, hanging a drop ceiling in Honduras! J

I love Central America. When I went on a mission trip to Guatemala, I was a clown making balloon animals for the children. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

This will sound weird, but I think I knew around the age of six. I came in third in a class writing contest. That tugging desire to write never left me, and I wrote many, many things over the years, poems, programs, verses, but the romance stories haunted me every night when I laid my head down, like a repetitive movie. Once I finally get the story written down, it disappears!

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

As a child, I loved the classics, Black Beauty, King of the Wind, (and most anything by Marguerite Henry!), Charlotte’s Web. As I grew, I became a bit more eclectic. I loved researching history, but I also enjoyed Stephen King. I finally stopped reading horror when I began to be afraid to be alone in a house. Seriously, true!

In my adult life, mostly I was fascinated with discovering Christian romance with Lori Wick, B.J. Hoff, Gilbert Morris, and a million more since. I definitely enjoyed all of Bodie Thoene’s series as well, not to mention Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins’ Left behind series. And there has been ton more! So overall, I say I love Christian fiction, but most of all Christian Romance.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Sometimes I don’t!!! J I think my main survival kit is sticking with the basics. God, family, friends. All the other stuff is wonderful and such a blessings, but I try to keep my head focused on the most important picture. Jesus Christ. Not to say I don’t have my freak-out moments, shhhh, but that’s the goal anyway. My husband is a great help in this area. He’s very calm and wise which offsets my need to be constantly over busy.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I like unusual names. So I pick names that are both unusual and beautiful to me. But they must fit the character. I also tend to pick names from my genealogy chart, or cemetery records. (Snort) Yes, really. Especially if I’m writing a historical.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Raising both my children to adulthood and seeing them grow in Christ. When I held my first child, I felt God’s calling to make sure I equip my children to serve Him for the rest of their lives.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A horse. As a young girl, I read any book I could get my hands on that included a horse. They are so beautiful, independent, and strong. All qualities I’d love to possess.

What is your favorite food?

Simple easy. Pizza. Yum!

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I’d say the greatest one is discouragement. It’s everywhere. And when it’s not outside of your psyche, it’s inside! And that seems to be the most intimidating one. Fighting your own sense of inadequacy, and the devil—he ain’t no dummy. He grabs what pulls you down and pumps it for all it’s worth.

Tell us about the featured book.

I’d be thrilled to!!! My debut novel is Year of Jubilee, a Historical Christian Romance based in southern Indiana in 1850. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Orphaned and widowed, eighteen-year-old JUBILEE STALLINGS clings to her southern Indiana farm as her only refuge. The wilds of Gibson County are just being tamed in the year of 1850, and Jubilee ekes a meager existence. But when RAFE TANNER, a cousin of her abusive dead husband, shows up with the deed to her property, Jubilee’s dream of her own home dissolves.

Rafe, stinging from his ex-fiancée’s rejection, offers a business marriage, throwing him and Jubilee together in an effort to make the farm successful. But scars from the past keep her in constant fear of her new husband. The pair masquerades as a love-struck couple at Rafe’s family farm, enduring the romantic notions of his family and the jealousy of his ex-fiancée.

Once home, Rafe realizes his newfound love for Jubilee, and sets out to court her. Meanwhile, Jubilee fights demons from her past as her husband reveals his interest. Can Jubilee let go of her distrust and pain to embrace God’s plan of true love and finally find a place to belong?

I know it doesn’t present as a storyline with a lot of humor, but there are several scenes of humorous misunderstandings throughout the book.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Okay! But be prepared. The first scene is a doozy!

Jubilee Stallings’ forehead collided with the wall. Stars flashed behind her closed lids. She lay completely still. Her face heated and her body ached, yet she dared not move.

“You’re worthless.” Her husband’s slurred voice continued.

She heard his footsteps stagger across the floorboards.

“You’re nuttin’ but a dog, and…and…a piece…of dung.”

The floorboards thundered as his body hit the floor. Scraping sounds emitted from the other side of the room.

“I…oughta…”

He continued mumbling unintelligibly. Jubilee pressed her bruised brow against the icy wood of the wall and prayed. Fresh tears wet her face. Please fall asleep. Almost on command Colvin gave a snore. Jubilee continued to lie immobile, although now that the initial rush of adrenaline had worn off, the frigid air made her naked body want to shake. She clenched her teeth and fought against her body’s urge. Snores filled the air.

She pushed to a sitting position and eyed the straw mattress where Colvin had sprawled. Moving as cautiously as a newborn colt, she crawled to her dress by the door. She pulled it on as a set of shivers ripped through her body. With her sweater in hand, she crept to the fireplace. Only dying embers remained, but Jubilee couldn’t risk adding another log. Her teeth chattered as she tucked her feet beneath her skirt and pulled up the ragged cardigan to ward off the chill.

She grimaced as she rubbed the swelling on her neck where he’d choked her. The moonlight broke through the clouds, highlighting the marks scratched into the wall near stone mantel. She’d carved the last one this morning, December 30, 1849. More than a full year had come and gone since she’d begun marking. Tomorrow would be her second birthday in this house. Once again tears threatened. She’d be eighteen.

You’re right about the page. I’m eager to read the rest of the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can always catch me at peggytrotter.com, but I’m also a feature writer on my group blog, diamondsinfiction.blogspot.com. Here are some of my other favorite places to hang out: https://www.facebook.com/PeggyTrotterAuthor

https://twitter.com/peggy_trotter

https://www.pinterest.com/pegtrotter/.

Thanks for having me on your blog! I truly appreciate it!

Peggy, the pleasure is all mine. I can’t wait until my book arrives so I can read it.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Year of Jubilee - paperback
Year of Jubilee - Kindle

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